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Religion must obey Chinese law, paper says of mosque protest

Thousands of Muslims gathered at a mosque in northwestern China on Friday to protest its planned demolition in a rare, public pushback to the government’s efforts to rewrite how religions are practiced in the country. (AP)

WEIZHOU, China: A newspaper of the ruling Communist Party says no religion is above the law in China, urging officials to stay firm while dealing with a rare protest over the planned demolition of a massive mosque in the northwest.
The Global Times newspaper said Saturday that local officials in the town of Weizhou in Ningxia, a region that’s home to many ethnic minority Hui Muslims, must act against what it described as an illegal expansion of a religious building.
Residents contacted by The Associated Press this week said thousands of Hui people had gathered at the towering Grand Mosque to prevent authorities from demolishing the structure.
It was a rare, public pushback to the ruling Communist Party’s efforts to rewrite how religions are practiced in the country.

Five mosques vandalized in central England

British Home Secretary Sajid Javid says that the Birmingham attacks are “deeply concerning”

The incidents in Birmingham come just days after an attacker killed 50 worshippers in two mosques in New Zealand

Updated 6 min 29 sec ago

AP

March 21, 2019 12:10

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LONDON: Counter-terrorism officers in central England are investigating attacks on five mosques in which windows were apparently shattered by a sledgehammer.
The attacks in Birmingham are being treated as linked. No motive has been established.
The incidents in Birmingham come just days after an attacker killed 50 worshippers in two mosques in New Zealand. The attack last week prompted many leaders in the UK to reach out to Muslims and offer support and reassurance.
British Home Secretary Sajid Javid says that the Birmingham attacks are “deeply concerning.”
In a tweet, Javid stressed that “hateful behavior has absolutely no place in our society & will never be accepted.”

Deeply concerning & distressing to see number of mosques have been vandalised in Birmingham overnight. @WMPolice are investigating motive but let me be clear - hateful behaviour has absolutely no place in our society & will never be accepted https://t.co/G9EFerOt9W